A Ray of Hope
by snooperj
Summary: Tsubasa, Genzo and Hyuga are all back with their regular teams in Europe. Just fresh after coming short of victory during the World Cup, all are determined as ever to improve their game. *Rest of summary in first chapter*
1. Kazuko Kawazoe: Japan's New Prodigy

**A Ray of Hope :: A Captain Tsubasa Fanfic**

Title: A Ray of Hope

Series: Captain Tsubasa

Original Character: Kazuko Kawazoe

Summary:

Tsubasa, Genzo and Hyuga are all back with their regular teams in Europe. Just fresh after coming short of victory during the World Cup, all are determined as ever to improve their game.

News gets out of a new young player from Japan who joined Brancos after Tsubasa left. His name is Kazuko Kawazoe, a talented mid-field striker. Having seen him play, Tsubasa and the others ask Mr. Katagiri to draft him onto the national team. A friendly game is arranged between Japan and France as Kazuko joins the squad.

The team later learns of Kazuko's true potential as a soccer genius, as they play towards their ultimate goal – to win the World Cup.

Players:__

_**Japan National Team**_

_Starting line-up_

10 – Tsubasa Ozora (c) – Mid-fielder

1 – Genzo Wakabayashi – Goalkeeper

9 – Kojiro Hyuga – Striker

11 – Taro Misaki – Mid-fielder

14 – Jun Misugi – Defender**

12 – Hikaru Matsuyama – Sweeper

20 – Aoi Shingo – Mid-fielder

18 – Shun Nitta – Forward

4 – Ryo Ishizaki – Defender

5 – Hiroshi Jito – Defender

16 – Kazuko Kawazoe – Mid-fielder

**Jun's had surgery by this time and is fully recovered to play for the entire game without problems

_Substitutes_

17 – Ken Wakashimizu – Goalkeeper

22 – Yuzo Morisaki – Goalkeeper

8 – Mamoru Izawa – Mid-fielder

13 – Hajime Taki – Forward

19 – Teppei Kisugi - Forward

7 – Makoto Soda – Mid-fielder

2 – Kazuo Tachibana – Defender

3 – Masao Tachibana – Defender

15 – Takeshi Sawada – Mid-fielder

_Chapter 1: Kazuko Kawazoe – Japan's new prodigy_

The 2008 World Cup is just around the corner with 2 ½ months to go. The remaining members of the Japan national team still in Japan have begun training for the upcoming competition. Tsubasa, Hyuga and Genzo are set to arrive in a few days to join them for training.

-**BARCELONA, SPAIN**

Cataluña A team had just finished a match against San Jose with a score of 3-2. Tsubasa Ozora was halfway to the locker room when one of the team managers called for him.

"Bas!" You have a phone call!"

Tsubasa looked over and nodded. "Okay!" He jogged back down the hall and followed the man to the lobby before he was directed to the phone. "Thank you." He took the phone and brought the receiver up to his ear. "Hello?"

"Tsubasa!" came a familiar voice through the phone.

The boy in question grinned. "Hey there, Roberto! I never expected **you** to be calling!"

Roberto Hongo was Tsubasa's coach when he was playing for Brancos in Brazil a few years ago. The man let out a hearty laugh. "That's true. Listen, I saw your game earlier on TV. Good work!"

"Thanks, Roberto. So tell me, was there something you wanted to tell me?" Bas asked, pleased that Roberto got to watch him play yet again.

"Yes. It's about Brancos. We've listed a new player this season who'll be taking over your position as captain and mid-field striker."

Interest began to creep up on Bas. "Really? That's fantastic news!"

"Your generation is full of talented players, Bas. I say that because the player taking on the role you left is also Japanese."

Tsubasa arched his eyebrows in amazement. "You say he was listed?"

"Yeah. He was the only one who passed the entrance exam. He kinda reminds me of you a bit, Bas."

"So what's his name?"

"Kazuko Kawazoe."

Tsubasa racked his mind, thinking if he had met him before. "How good is he, then?"

A long pause.

"We have a televised game tonight. Watch it and see for yourself. Maybe you'd want Genzo and Hyuga to see it as well."

"Is he **that** good?" Tsubasa asked, taken aback.

"I wouldn't have given him your spot if he wasn't good, would I?" Roberto said teasingly. "Anyway, I have to get going. Congratulations again on the win, Bas."

"Alright, I'll be watching, then. Thanks for calling, Roberto." Tsubasa said before he hung up the phone, his mind lingering around what Robert had just said.

_'Kazuko Kawazoe… I wonder how good he is for Roberto to say that…' _Tsubasa thought to himself.

Shortly afterwards, Tsubasa picked up the phone once more before dialing a certain goalkeeper's number.

-**HAMBURG, GERMANY**

Genzo Wakabayashi, along with the rest of Grunwald, was enjoying a day off from training. The goalkeeper was in his room watching another German League game when his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"How's it going, Genzo?" Tsubasa chimed in.

"Hey there, Bas! Just finished your game?" he inquired.

"Yeah. We won. 3-2. But that wasn't why I called," Tsubasa explained. "Can you three-way Hyuga for me?"

Bowled over at the sudden request, Genzo approved. "Alright. Give me a while to contact him."

-**ROME, ITALY**

Kojiro Hyuga was in the gym trying to stabilize his body. He was lifting weights with his legs, an extra weight applied to his left leg before finally finishing the required hundred. Relaxing for a while, he began heading back to the locker room before his cell phone rang. Picking it up, he brought it up to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hyuga! It's Genzo. Listen, I've got Bas on the other line. Clearly he wants to tell us something important."

_'Something important?'_ Hyuga thought.

"Put him through, then," the striker beckoned.

Genzo set it on three-way. "So are we all here?"

"I'm here," Tsubasa announced.

"So am I," Hyuga declared.

"Great. Anyway, I wanted to tell you guys about another Japanese player Roberto's told me about," Tsubasa began, getting straight to the point.

"What about this player?" Genzo asked.

"He tried out for Brancos recently and was the only one who passed the exam. Roberto's made him team captain and mid-field striker after a few practice games," Tsubasa explained.

"Roberto didn't waste time replacing you," Genzo teased.

"He didn't. But the fact that he's taken my position clearly means he must be a good player."

"What's his name?" Hyuga questioned.

"Kazuko Kawazoe."

There was a long pause before Hyuga spoke. "I've never heard of him."

"Neither have I," Tsubasa admitted.

"Well… I have," Genzo said a while later. "I heard it from Schneider. He came to see me one time a while after he joined Raltburg with his father. He mentioned that there was this Japanese player who was playing in the Premiere League with Manchester United. His name was Kazuko Kawazoe. Schneider said that Kazuko made quite a name for himself with some of his shots on goal."

Tsubasa smirked. "How good is his ball control?"

"Excellent. He's persistent with the ball," Genzo elucidated. "Schneider compares his technique as a combination of Rivaul, Santana and you, Bas."

Tsubasa was anxious now. _'If he's as good as Schneider says, then I want to play him. I want to see how good he is.'_

"Roberto said that they were having a televised game tonight. We should all watch it and see for ourselves just how good this Kazuko Kawaoze is," Tsubasa shared.  
Genzo and Hyuga agreed before all three hung up.

_'So a player who's as good as Bas… I'd love to see that,' _Hyuga thought to himself.

_'I can't wait to watch him play. It would be interesting to play against someone like him. He'd be a great asset to Japan in the next world cup,' _Genzo thought, clenching his fists in anticipation.

_'Kazuko Kawazoe… If he is as good as Roberto says he is… then we've got a good chance to win… I'd like to see just how good he is.' _Tsubasa thought to himself, anxious to see the game.

-**SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL**

Later that night, everybody's screens were set to watch the match-up between Brancos and Domingo. Tsubasa, Genzo and Hyuga were among the many TV viewers.

_'Today's the day you show the world… No, show Bas and the others just how you play, Kazu…' _Roberto told himself as the game went underway.__

_**"In today's match, Brancos have wasted no time in replacing Tsubasa Ozora, who's now in FC Cataluña in Spain, with yet another Japanese prodigy, Kazuko Kawazoe," **_reported one announcer.__

_**"Unlike Bas, Kazuko has never played for the Japan National Team and has been in England until he took the exam in Brancos. Let's see just how good he is. Will he be capable of filling Tsubasa's place in this crucial final match?" **_said the other announcer.

Kazuko was in possession of the ball upon kick-off. Like a rocked, he sped off, keeping complete control of the ball during his pursuit as he made past each defender using an ingenious tactic. Upon spotting a group coming his way, he made a bullet pass backward before jumping to avoid the group tackle.

_'Amazing… He's so calm during the game. It's as if nothing fazes him,' _Tsubasa noted, clenching his fists.

"Kazuko!" Pépé called, passing the ball up high for Kazuko to receive.

"Can he really catch that?" Tsubasa said to himself.

Kazuko smirked, nodding to Pépé as he moved up in line with the ball and confronted two other players. "Sorry, but this ball's mine!" Kazuko jumped early to connect with the rapidly spinning ball before shifting his body and took an overhead kick.

"Outside the penalty area?" Genzo said in disbelief, realizing the position on the field. _'You're…'_

The ball soared towards the net as the keeper jumped to catch it. Still in the air, Kazuko smiled to himself and muttered, "That ball will disappear." Just as the ball was within reach, it disappeared before bouncing into the goal. For a moment, the crowd was shocked into stunned silence until Kazuko landed back on the ground, the referee blowing his whistle.__

_**"G…Goal!" **_one of the announcers hollered over the microphone.

The crowd broke into loud cheers.

"Oh wow…" Tsubasa said, his eyes glistening in astonishment.

"The ball disappeared just before the keeper got his hands on it… That's new…" Genzo said before looking down at his own hands. "I wonder if I could save that type of shot…"

"A disappearing shot? No, it can't be…" Hyuga said, unable to take in the goal he had just witnessed.__

_**"Now it's Domingo with the kick-off. This is Carlos Santana's final game with the team before he transfers to San Jose in Spain. He crosses the ball to the wing and dashes past Brancos' players. What is he planning to do?" **_the first announcer calls.

The ball is moved up with a lob pass that descends towards Santana just outside the penalty box.

"Don't let Santana get the ball!" a Brancos player shouted.

_'This ball is mine!'_ Santana cried in his head, getting ready to jump up and collect the ball that was coming his way. In a flash of light, Kazuko intercepted the ball with an overhead kick, sending it to the other side of the field.

"Great job, Kazu!" Pépé cheered, running up to receive the ball.

Upon landing on his feet, Kazuko sprinted off to assist the offense.

"I don't believe it. How much stamina does this guy have?" Tsubasa said to himself.

"Get back! Strip the ball off him! Protect the net at all costs!" Santana barked as he ran back to help with the defense.__

_**"After that interception by Kazuko, Domingo are falling back to break Brancos' momentum and prevent them from getting their second goal," **_the second announcer called.__

_**"But is it enough, though? Pépé's bringing the ball up quite easily, dodging any tackles coming his way. And Kazuko is charging up the field at such incredible speed!" **_the first announcer commented.

Kazuko moved up the field, moving past any defenders to be clear of any marks as Pépé passed it off to the wing to bring the ball further up the field to the Domingo net. The ball was then crossed back to Pépé, who caught a glimpse of Kazuko getting in line in front of him as he made a quick pass.

"It's all yours, Kazu!" The ball whizzed past the outstretched legs of the Domingo defense as Kazuko connected with the ball and kicked it towards the goal, curving past the keeper and into the net.

"Yes!" Roberto cheered, clenching his fists as Brancos returned to position for defense. _'That's it, Kazu… Show everybody why you can play just as well as Tsubasa can…'_

_**"Brancos' second goal was again scored by Kazuko. So far he's been getting the all the goals. I've been told recently that Kazuko used to play for Manchester United back in England before transferring."**_

_**"For those who are not aware, Manchester United is one of the top teams to beat in the English Premier League, and several of their goals were made or assisted by young Kazuko down there on the field."**_

Kick-off from Domingo restarted the game as the cheers from the massive crowd pumped up the players on the field as Santana brought the ball upfield to the Brancos net.

"_**Santana's moving up to the goal alone!"**_

"_**But Kazuko comes to confront him. It's going to be a clash of the titans! This is the first time we'll be seeing both captains battle it out to see who gets possession of the ball!"**_

"You can do it, Kazu!" Roberto cheered.

'_If he can get the ball off Santana…' _Genzo thought in anticipation, his hand hovering over the phone.

'_If Kazuko can strip the ball off from Santana…' _Hyuga wondered, leaning forward towards the TV.

'_If Kazuko manages to steal the ball away from Santana…' _Tsubasa speculated before he, Genzo and Hyuga thought of the same exact thing.

'…_**We need to get him onto the national team with us.'**_

Santana and Kazuko start off with a quick battle for the ball, Santana overly still in possession. He handled it brilliantly and managed to perform the Santana Spin as the ball went over Kazuko before this was easily countered with an overhead spin as Kazuko controlled the ball and landed quickly before passing it off to Pépé who was waiting nearby.

The rest of the game continued in the favor of Brancos under the leadership of Kazuko. Although Domingo managed to score towards the end of the first half, it wasn't enough to slim Brancos' lead, who scored another goal in the first half and two more in the second. The game ended with a score of 5-1 in favor of Brancos.

As soon as the game was over, Genzo called up Bas and Hyuga once more.

"Hello?" Hyuga called as soon as the three-way was set into place.

"Did you watch the match?" Genzo demanded of the two before both confirmed.

"Sure did. Kazuko was amazing!" Tsubasa said eagerly.

"There's no doubting his talent. He's a world class player, alright," Hyuga replied.

"We need to get him onto the national team with us this year," Genzo suggested.

"That's what I was thinking as well," Tsubasa exclaimed.

"Same here," Hyuga added.

Genzo smirked. "He's a smart player. We could definitely use that kind of talent on the team. Although… it makes me beg the question as to why he never applied to be part of the national team before. I mean, I understand he was in England this whole time, but…"

"Well, whatever his reason is, he's a good player and will be a great asset to the team," Tsubasa interjected. "I'll call up Roberto and see if he can patch me through to Kazuko."

"In the meantime, I'll give Mr. Katagiri a call and run the idea by him," Genzo recommended.

"That sounds great, Genzo. As we'll all be flying off to Japan in a few days, let's hope Kazuko agrees and joins us for practice," Hyuga said optimistically.

"You got that right, Hyuga. Well, see you both soon." The trio hung up on each other once again before Bas and Genzo made their respective calls.

-**TSUBASA'S CALL TO ROBERTO**

After the game, Brancos celebrated, congratulating Kazuko in particular for a job well done. Roberto dispersed from the team, a satisfied smile on his face before he was called to the phone. Picking it up, he brought it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Roberto!" Tsubasa cried.

"Bas? Hey, I didn't think you'd call right after the game!"

"We watched the game. It's an excellent way to end the season, Roberto. Genzo, Hyuga and I were thoroughly impressed with Kazuko's plays," Tsubasa reported good-naturedly.

"I figured you guys might've. So what's the call for?"

"I was wondering if I could ask Kazuko to join us on the Japan National Team this year to participate in the World Cup," Tsubasa began.

"I wouldn't mind as the season is over, but the decision rests on Kazuko's reply, of course."

"I understand. Could I speak with him?" Tsubasa inquired.

Roberto nodded. "Sure, why not? Give me a second to call him over." Roberto set the phone down on the desk and moved back to the locker room. "Could I see Kazuko for a second, you guys?" he called as Kazuko emerged from the crowd of players.

"What is it, coach?" he inquired.

"I've got somebody on the phone who'd like to speak with you. Do you mind?"

Kazuko shook his head. "No, I don't mind at all."

Roberto led Kazuko back to the lobby and handed him the receiver before adding, "It's Tsubasa."

Kazuko's eyes widened in shock at Roberto before taking the phone and brought it up to his ear. "Hello?"

"Is this Kazuko Kawazoe?" Tsubasa asked.

"Yes. And this must be Tsubasa Ozora, isn't it?" Kazuko inquired back.

"Yeah, it is. Listen, I watched your game just now, and I'm glad you've joined Brancos. You make a great captain," Tsubasa complimented.

"Thank you for the compliment… May I ask what this is about? Surely it's not just for congratulations," Kazuko implied.

Tsubasa chuckled. "You're right, it isn't. Well, I'll be straight to the point, then. We'd like you to join the Japan National Team for the upcoming World Cup."

Kazuko was speechless for the whole of 10 seconds before replying, "I'd be honored."

"That's good to hear. Roberto's fine with it, so I hope to see you in Japan in a few days. We have to meet with the team and get you integrated into our team play. How soon can you leave for Japan?"

"Tomorrow," Kazuko answered. "Is that too soon?" he added hastily.

"No, it's alright. Our Goalkeeper Genzo Wakabayashi plans to leave Germany the day after tomorrow and will be arriving Japan almost the same time as you. I'll arrange for him to wait for you and accompany you to the training grounds. Does that sound alright with you, Kazuko?" Tsubasa offered.

"Yes. I suppose that's fine."

"We look forward to playing with you, then. It was nice talking to you," Tsubasa greeted.

"To you as well, Bas," Kazuko replied before hanging up the phone.

-**GENZO'S CALL TO MR. KATAGIRI**

Genzo dialed up Mr. Katagiri's number and waited for him to answer his phone. The said manager was in Japan, overseeing the national team's early morning practice before picking up his phone.

"Hello? Katagiri speaking."

"Hey there, Mr. Katagiri. It's Genzo."

Katagiri moved off to the side before replying, "What's with the sudden call?"

"Roberto's listed a Japanese player for Brancos this season named Kazuko Kawazoe who has been in England until recently. We watched his game against Carlos Santana of FC Domingo and he's definitely got what it takes to be part of the national team. Have you looked into him yet?" Genzo stated.

"I have, actually. I had plans of talking to Roberto about him."

"Tsubasa's taken the liberty of contacting Roberto about it. I'll be leaving here in two days, and I'll be sure to hear from Bas about Kazuko's response to our offer."

Katagiri nodded. "I understand. I'll arrange someone to pick you up at the airport when you arrive."

"Thank you, Mr. Katagiri." A beep sounded between them. "Give me a second. I have someone on the other line." Genzo switched over to the call waiting. "Hello?"

"He's agreed, Genzo!" Tsubasa exclaimed happily.

"Really? That's great news, Bas!"

"He says he's leaving for Japan tomorrow morning, so I'd estimate you would be arriving at about the same time. I told him he'd see you there," Tsubasa explained.

"Gives me some time to have a little chat with him, then," Genzo admitted.

"At least he doesn't have to worry about finding the practice grounds. Plus I think it's good if you two hit it off before he meets the rest of the team."

"I see. Okay. Thanks for the news, Bas."

"See you soon, Genzo."

Genzo returned to the other line. "That was Bas. He says that Kazuko's leaving Brazil tomorrow morning and should be arriving at about the same time as me over there in Japan," he recalled.

"In that case, I'm going to have to make **special **arrangements for his arrival," Katagiri stated.

"You do that. Well, see you in 2 days, Mr. Katagiri."

And with that said, both hung up the phone.


	2. Touchdown: Testing the New Addition

_Chapter 2: Touchdown – Testing the New Addition_

Kazuko and Genzo had both got onto their respective planes bound ultimately for Japan. The 23-hour flight from Brazil, stopping at New York and its final destination Japan and the 12-hour flight from Germany to Japan arrived almost at the same time of one another. Mr. Katagiri and Coach Mikami were at the airport to welcome the two players.

Kazuko looked around with his gym bag hanging from one shoulder, his other hand holding a soccer ball as he proceeded to Arrivals.

Genzo arrived and took a whiff of his country air as he moved through the airport undergoing the usual routines before heading to Arrivals. It was there did he spot Kazuko looking clueless in the midst of the crowd as he moved up to him.

"You must be Kazuko Kawazoe, right?" Genzo inquired.

Kazuko turned to him and nodded in response.

"I'm Genzo Wakabayashi. I suppose Bas has told you about me?"

"Yes, he did mention I'd be seeing you here," Kazuko admitted.

"C'mon, then. It's time I introduced you to the coach of the national team," Genzo offered, gesturing over to where he had spotted Coach Mikami and Mr. Katagiri.

Mr. Katagiri and Coach Mikami were engrossed in a deep conversation about the team before they heard someone calling out, "Hey there, Coach!" Coach Mikami turned and spotted Genzo approaching them, waving them over.

"You've finally arrived." Mikami looked over to Genzo's companion. "This must be the famous Kazuko Kawazoe, I presume?"

Kazuko nodded timidly as Genzo patted his back.

"Let's get him to the training field. I'd very much like to test out his Disappearing Shot," Genzo said enthusiastically.

Mikami chuckled. "Alright, then. Follow us." Mikami and Katagiri led the way to the car before all four got in and drove off for the practice field.

"This is Coach Mikami. He's the coach of the national team I was telling you about," Genzo introduced, gesturing to the said coach. "And over here is Mr. Katagiri. He's the manager of the team who arranges all our matches for us."

"Pleasure to meet you," Kazuko said, nodding to each one in turn.

"We look forward to seeing you play for us, Kazuko," Katagiri teased.

"I'll do my best," Kazuko replied. There was silence for a moment before he piped up, "So Japan made it to the Finals of the World Cup last year is that right?"

Genzo nodded before looking out the window. "England was a very strong team. Their offense was so powerful and easily managed to break down our defense. Their defense was just as impressive…" he explained bitterly.

"I… I watched the game… The score was 4-3, wasn't it?" Kazuko admitted.

Genzo confirmed it with another nod.

"My father… he was one of the coaches for the England national team. During the World Cup, I was… invited along with my mother to watch all the games they had. The Finals were… perhaps the most interesting I've watched. At the time, I was already playing for Manchester United, where my father Hatori Kawazoe was also part of the coaching staff. I had the genuine privilege of playing with some of the best players from England like Forward Wayne Rooney, Defender Gary Neville and Mid-Fielder Paul Scholes. France's Forward Louise Saha, Portugal's Mid-Fielder Cristiano Ronaldo and The Netherlands' Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar are part of the first-team squad as well. Playing with them just gets you to improve yourself immensely. But as I watched that Finals game between you and England, I had mixed feelings.

"My parents and I migrated to England a few years after I was born, so I've grown up to a lot of English culture while playing soccer under my father's tutelage. It wasn't until I was older did I try out for Manchester United and I was accepted without any problems, not having to rely on my father's connections to get me in. It took a few games for me to be noticed and move up to play with the first-team squad. I've understood the game much more because of participating in the League games. My father would sometimes tell me that one day he would like to see me playing for Japan during the World Cup just to see how much I can hold up against Rooney, Scholes and Neville from the team.

"So I watched the game in earnest and that was when I saw Tsubasa and Taro Misaki's combination play, Kojiro Hyuga's powerful Tiger Shot and your incredible saves, Genzo. My heart was racing in anticipation. I was wondering if my skills were enough to synch with the team if ever I had the thought of joining… But I just thought I wasn't ready yet. So I decided to head off to Brazil as soon as the Premier League was over to try out for Brancos to get more experience."

"Did you go to Brancos because of Bas, or just because you wanted to?" Genzo interrupted momentarily, curious.

"Perhaps a little bit of both. I **did **find out that Bas had turned professional when he played with Brancos before he transferred to Spain. That was partly the reason why I chose Brancos. But the other was because I wanted to experience playing in a different part of the world," Kazuko replied.

"I also heard that you were the only one who passed."

Kazuko nodded. "Yes. I was a bit surprised, but I was more than happy to accept a position on the team and it wasn't long before our coach Roberto assigned me Bas' former position as mid-field striker and captain as well."

"You must be honored," Genzo said with a warm smile.

"I was…" Kazuko admitted.

"Roberto must've seen something in you to push him to give you that vital position," Katagiri reasoned from the front passenger seat.

Kazuko chuckled. "That's probably true, but I would rather not ponder any more than I'd like to about it. I'd just like to enjoy my stay here in Japan and play some soccer," he said happily, holding up his soccer ball.

"I should ask Bas that we take you around Japan for a while during a long break from practice. Is that alright with you, Mr. Katagiri?"

Katagiri nodded, giving a thumbs-up to the idea. "Yes, of course. Just give me the date and I'll arrange it for you."

"I'd appreciate that very much," Kazuko replied, nodding to Genzo.

The rest of the drive to the practice field was spent talking about random things.

**----------**

--**PRACTICE FIELD, 7:24 A.M.**

The team was doing their warming up in pairs at the side of the field as they waited for the coach's arrival.

"So I heard that Genzo would be flying in today," Taro said conversationally.

"Is that true, Taro? It's going to be a great practice session today!" Ishizaki cheered. "What about Tsubasa and Hyuga?"

"They'll be coming in the day after tomorrow," reported Matsuyama.

"Then we'll have the complete team!" Shingo pronounced, excited.

The car parked itself in the dormitory as Katagiri showed Genzo and Kazuko to their rooms as Mikami headed off to the field to greet the team.

"Morning coach!" they echoed upon spotting him.

"I see you've all just finished warming up. Well, let's start with some laps before we do a practice game," Mikami declared.

"Where's Genzo, coach? Wasn't he supposed to arrive today?" Morisaki chimed in.

Mikami nodded. "Yes. He's just being accommodated into the dorms by Mr. Katagiri. He'll be coming down here in a bit to join us. Plus we have a new member joining our team from England. I hope you all give him a warm welcome, as it's his first time to be back here in Japan."

"A new member?" Jun inquired.

"Now I want to see those laps!" Mikami ordered as the team headed off in two straight lines to run around the field.

**----------**

"That's about everything you need to know for now. Is there anything else, Kazuko?" Katagiri asked as he handed Kazuko his uniform.

Kazuko shook his head. "I'll just get changed. I can find my way to the field, thank you."

"Alright, we'll see you in a bit, then."

Genzo had headed down to the field as soon as he dropped his stuff off in his room and jogged over to the field to see the team doing laps. He moved up to Mikami's side. "Should I join them, coach?"

Mikami shook his head. "No. You can take it easy for now. I know you have a tendency to warm up and stretch as soon as you get off a plane," he replied knowingly.

"That's true. I'll wait for Kazuko, then."

Mikami nodded as he moved forward to give some instructions to the team. Shortly after they finished another 2 laps, Kazuko had joined Genzo and watched them do their laps.

"Shouldn't we be joining them?" Kazuko asked.

"No. I'm sure you've done some warm up already just by running from the dorms over here," Genzo teased.

As soon as the team finished their 10 lap set, Genzo and Kazuko headed down to the field, where the team moved towards Genzo to greet him.

"Hey there, Genzo!"

"How've you been, Genzo?"

"Been doing well, Genzo?"

Genzo brought his hands up. "There'll be time for reunions later, guys. Right now, I gotta introduce you to the new member of our team. Everyone, this is Kazuko Kawazoe," he introduced.

Kazuko gave a deep, quick bow. "It's a pleasure to be here."

Mikami clapped his hands together, getting everyone's attention. "Alright, let's have a short practice match! There'll be 8 players on each team, both of which I'll be announcing right now." He paused to consult his clipboard.

"The first team will consist of the following: Genzo, Matsuyama, Jun, Jito, Hajime, Izawa, Teppei and Nitta. The second team will consist of the following: Ken, Kazuo and Masao, Ishizaki, Takeshi, Shingo, Taro and Kazuko. I'll have to ask Soda and Morisaki to sit this game out and be our referees. Rules are simple. First to 3 goals wins! Alright, you have 2 minutes to get ready! First team is green, second team is yellow. Let's go!"

The players moved to retrieve the jerseys and distributed them amongst one another until both teams were defined by the colored jerseys and had short discussions with each other about strategy.

"Considering the line-up we have here, seems that the Coach wants to see how good a player Kazuko is…" Matsuyama pointed out. "We've got most of our starting defenders here and Genzo in goal. It won't be easy for him."

"That's true, but we have to remember that he's played in England and Brazil. We need to tighten defense even more. Remember, he has Taro, Takeshi and Shingo for support," Jun pointed out.

"Simply put, we shut him down and double team him. We triple team him if we have to!" Genzo said darkly, crossing his arms.

"Are you serious, Genzo?" Teppei asked incredulous.

"What's the matter?"

"Leave it, Teppei. I'm sure Genzo's eager to try Kazuko's shots out," Izawa reassured.

On the other team, Taro gives short introductions of the team to Kazuko. "So it's a pleasure to meet you," he said in conclusion.

"No, I'm honored to be here. I hope I don't be a burden to any of you," Kazuko said warily.

"I'm sure you won't. Let's just enjoy ourselves and work together."

"Yeah, let's just help each other out and keep our eyes open!" Shingo stated with a grin.

"What position do you play?" Ken inquired.

"Oh, I play mid-field striker…" Kazuko replied.

"Just like Bas, huh?" Ishizaki said, a little bit impressed. "Well, if that's the case, we can leave the scoring to you, Taro and Shingo, then!"

Kazuko nodded. "Sure. Leave it to me."

Morisaki blew the whistle. "Time to start the game!" he called to both teams.

All 16 of the players ran out onto the field, taking their positions as they did a quick coin toss to decide who had the kick-off first. Taro's call won, which earned him and his team the kick-off.

Genzo flexed his fingers. _'Okay, Kazuko. It's about time you showed everybody here what you can do.'_

Taro looked over to Kazuko. "Are you ready?"

Kazuko nodded. "Yeah, let's do our best."

Morisaki looked at both teams before blowing the whistle to officially begin the practice game.

Taro tapped the ball to Kazuko before he took it and charged onward. His first hurdle came in the form of Shun Nitta. Kazuko handled the ball expertly and side-stepped past Nitta before continuing forward. His next challenge was Teppei Kisugi, who came towards him with a sliding tackle. Kazuko merely jumped over and passed the ball over to Aoi Shingo, who moved to the wing and dribbled the ball along.

"Shingo!" Taro called, waving his hand as Shingo crossed the ball over to him before Taro carried the ball forward before centering it over to Takeshi Sawada.

"Close Kazuko down!" Genzo called.

"Here you go, Kazuko!" Takeshi shouted, passing it forward to him as he took it and was blocked by both Mamoru Izawa and Hajime Taki.

"We're not letting you through so easily!" Hajime stated.

"_**Kazuko, I have a favor to ask of you," Mikami began.**_

"_**What is it?"**_

"_**I'm sure you're aware how important team play is, but I know they want to see just how capable you are with your individual skills. So I have to ask you to prove yourself to them. If you can break through the defense and score a goal past Genzo on your own… They won't judge you."**_

'_Break through the defense and score a goal past Genzo on my own...' _Kazuko repeated to himself as he began trying to get past the two. _'Coach Mikami wants me to prove myself…' _Smirking, Kazuko faked right and immediately shifted and faked left, fooling both Izawa and Hajime and slid through the gap that was made between them with the ball before quickly getting to his feet and continued forward.

'_That was pretty slick…He's got excellent balance and ball control, that's for sure,' _Genzo admitted to himself.

Kazuko pressed on as Jun Misugi, Hiroshi Jito and Hikaru Matsuyama all charged forward to stop him.

"Kazuko! Pass it back!" Shingo called.

"No…" Taro said, watching Kazuko. "Let him try. I have a feeling the coach wants to witness if Kazuko can do it by himself."

"What? But…not even Tsubasa or Hyuga can do it without any back-up…" Takeshi stated, looking over to Kazuko.

'_Show us all… show us just what you can __**really **__do…'_ Ken said to himself.

The three made a firm defensive wall blocking Kazuko just outside the penalty box. Kazuko narrowed his eyes and kept his unyielding hold on the ball.

"Try getting past us if you can!" Jun declared.

"You're not going to score so easily!" Jito added.

"Come on!" Matsuyama said.

Kazuko smirked. "If that's how you want it…" Kazuko moved back with the ball as Jito, who was in the middle, moved towards him. Kazuko then moved to the right where Matsuyama moved forward to stop Kazuko before he collided with Jito, who followed Kazuko's smooth move as Kazuko smartly moved back to avoid being caught between them. Now it was between him and Jun.

"Alright, Kazuko, it's time you showed me what you can do," Jun said.

"You don't have to tell me." Kazuko was moving towards Jun before flicking the ball up high and turned his back to Jun and jumped, preparing for an overhead kick.

"Afraid that's not going to work!" Jun declared, jumping up to block his shot.

As both were about to clash, Kazuko was ahead by a few seconds and took the ball between his feet, pulling the ball safely towards him and shifted his body before landing on his feet past Jun and moved himself into the penalty area.

"Impossible! He got past Jun!" Ishizaki exclaimed in disbelief.

"Now he's only got Genzo to beat!" Taro stated.

"Just try getting a shot past me!" Genzo proclaimed, stretching his arms out.

Kazuko stopped himself and flicked the ball off the ground with an implausible spin and took his shot as it sped toward the net at an angle. Genzo gave chase and dived for it before the ball disappeared and sneaked past Genzo shortly after it bounced off the post and into the net.

"What was **that** shot?" Shingo stated excitedly.

"I can't believe it… The ball disappeared…" Matsuyama said incredulously before all eyes turned to Kazuko.

Genzo saw the ball in the goal before smirking to himself and pushed himself off the ground, fixing his hat. He moved towards Kazuko before patting him on the back. "Good work, Kazuko."

Kazuko smiled, nodding his thanks to Genzo before he saw everybody else giving their contentment and thumbs up towards him before Kazuko went to retrieve the ball and move back to the center circle and handed it to Teppei.

"That's some shot, Kazuko," Teppei commended as he set the ball down.

"Call me Kazu," he replied before getting into position.

Teppei smiled as he passed the ball to Izawa as the whistle was blown to restart the game.

"It's about time to step it up!" Shingo proclaimed as he charged towards Izawa to steal the ball.

Taro, Takeshi and Kazuko stayed in their place as Izawa passed it off to Hajime at the wing.

"Takeshi!" Kazuko instructed.

"I got it!" Takeshi moved to meet Hajime and tried to get the ball.

"Teppei!" Hajime called, making a big cross to center where Teppei dashed to retrieve the ball.

"You're not getting it!" Taro stated, jumping to head the ball towards Kazuo Tachibana. "Counterattack, now! Takeshi, Shingo! Stay behind to make up for defense!" he called as he, the Tachibana twins and Kazuko charged on, passing the ball amongst one another.

"Get back in defense!" Teppei instructed as their team dashed back to stop them from advancing.

"Here you go, Kazu!" Masao called, sending a high pass to him.

Kazuko ran up to claim the ball. _'If I'm reading this correctly…'_ he thought to himself as Jun came to intercept the ball.

"Oh no, you're not scoring on us again!" he declared.

"Who said I would be scoring?" Kazuko said cheerfully as he jumped and back-passed the ball up high as Kazuo and Masao lined up for a catapult shot. Masao launches Kazuo into the air as Kazuo makes a powerful shot towards the goal.

"Not going to happen!" Genzo said, diving for the ball.

"Yes it will!" Taro said, running forward and headed it in the other direction.

"You can't fool me with that!" Genzo shouted, twisting his body and pushed himself off from the post with his feet before Kazuko appeared and did a cartwheel and heeled the ball past Genzo and into the goal.

"That was an incredible goal!" Ishizaki exclaimed.

"Nice pass, Taro," Kazuko said, sending him a thumbs up.

"Great finish, Kazu," Taro fired back, patting him on the back.

'_This kid is amazing… It's like he's a completely different person when he plays soccer… He has the ability to stay calm during a match and makes pinpoint passes and shots on goal. That's coming from actually being here on the field with him…' _Genzo noted as he got back to his feet.

The score was 2-0 in favor of Taro's team as Teppei kicks off again and this time, passes it to Matsuyama.

"Looks like they've changed their strategy," Taro noted as he moved to defend Matsuyama.

'_If they did… That would mean that…' _Kazuko's thoughts were interrupted as Matsuyama cried, "Over to you, Jun!"

Jun Misugi had joined the front line as Kazuko moved to take him on.

"You can do it, Kazuko!" Ishizaki cheered.

"So am I going to see your skill and genius now, Jun?" Kazuko asked as he went to mark him.

Jun smiled. "That depends if you can keep up with me."

Kazuko and Jun fought for control of the ball with Jun barely managing to keep possession.

'_I hate to admit it, but this guy's pretty good. I can't get past him,' _Jun confessed to himself as he struggled and found an opening to pass it back over to Matsuyama.

Matsuyama took the ball and managed to trick Taro and get past him before connecting the ball over. "Take it, Hajime!"

Takeshi went to mark him before the ball was quickly crossed to Izawa, who Shingo kept close to.

"Bring it to the goal!" Jun instructed, trying to shake off Kazuko.

Izawa nodded, and shook off Shingo and made a precision pass to Teppei, who made a bullet pass to Matsuyama, who now confronted the Tachibana twins.

Jun stayed where he was, keeping Kazuko in close check, preventing him from interfering with their chance on goal. _'I don't want to find out what Kazuko's capable of if he's in defense…' _Jun thought to himself.

Matsuyama tried his trademark long shot as soon as he passed the twins. Ken deflected the shot before Teppei ran in and headed it into the goal.

'_They've become aware of how much of a threat Kazuko can be…' _Mikami thought to himself, smirking as the ball was returned to the center circle. _'Jun's realized that if they let Kazuko run around without a mark even if he's on defense, he can intercept passes and change the game. At this time, Jun's probably the best candidate to mark Kazuko…'_

"Jun might be sticking to you once we kick off, Kazu," Taro stated as he twisted the ball in his hands, walking up to the center circle with him.

Kazuko nodded. "I know. If that's the case, if I can't shake him off, you, Shingo and Takeshi need to do some quick, precise passing while moving up to the net. Utilize the Tachibana twins as well if it's needed," he explained.

"And if you _do _manage to shake Jun off? I might need to add it's been difficult for most of us to get free of him."

Kazuko took the ball and set it down. Straightening up, he replied, "You'll know what to do if or when that time comes." Nodding, Kazuko went to have a quick word with the twins.

Taro turned to Kazuko, furrowing his eyebrows in thought. _'I'll know what to do?' _he repeated in his mind. Kazuko returned to position as the whistle was blown before Taro passed it back to Kazuko.

"I'll mark Kazuko! The rest of you get into position!" Jun commanded.

Genzo's defense line had now switched to the line-up of Hajime, Izawa and Jito as Teppei, Matsuyama, Nitta and Jun advanced to mark Takeshi, Taro, Shingo and Kazuko respectively.

Kazuko carried the ball forward, charging towards Jun before he makes a back pass to Ryo Ishizaki, who passes it to Misao of the Tachibana twins.

"Consider this the last time you'll be getting hold of the ball!" Jun affirmed, marking Kazuko tightly.

Misao moved forward with his twin brother Kazuo, making short, precise passes to one another, getting past Teppei before the ball was crossed over to a free Takeshi.

"I hope you haven't forgotten that this is a team sport, Jun," Kazuko teased.

"I haven't. Our team just wants to make sure that we stop _you _from helping since you're a threat," Jun replied.

"I'm considering that as a compliment, then," Kazuko replied, chuckling.

'_Good. Looks like Jun's closed Kazuko down…'_ Genzo thought before returning his attention to the other players bringing the ball up.

Takeshi had brought the ball up the field, outrunning Teppei before crossing the ball over to Shingo, who managed to shake off Nitta.

"Over here, Shingo!" Taro called, moving up with Matsuyama in hot pursuit.

"Here you go, Taro!"

The ball was passed over swiftly before Taro made a slick pass to Misao, who came up with Kazuo.

"Get the ball!" Genzo shouted as Jito moved forward.

"_**You guys move up in offense and support the others while I'm being marked. When you get up to the penalty area, whichever of you isn't handling the ball raise their hand up. It'll give me a signal to make a dash for it. After that, get past the initial defense. Whoever's free amongst the two of you, mark whoever will be marking Taro. Once that's been sealed, whoever has the ball, pass it over to Taro. He'll know what to do with it," Kazuko told the twins.**_

"_**Alright, Kazu," they replied simultaneously.**_

'_Looks like now's the time…'_ Kazuo thought to himself as he raised his arm.

Kazuko smirked before taking a brief glance back to Jun before running off past him towards the goal.

'_Darn it!' _Jun cursed to himself, running off after him.

Misao and Kazuo locked eyes for a moment to communicate before both nodded. Misao, who had the ball after avoiding Jito's sliding tackle, passed it to Kazuo.

"Over to you, Taro!" Kazuo passed it off to Taro, as soon as Misao blocked Matsuyama off from getting to Taro or the ball.

Taro took the ball and saw Izawa and Hajime coming with a pair of sliding tackles as he flicked the ball and avoided them.

"Taro!" Kazuko shouted, running up the field and into the penalty area, Jun not far behind.

Taro heard this upon landing and gently tapped the ball towards Kazuko's line of fire as he stopped and got ready to shoot.

"You're not getting past me!" Genzo declared.

Kazuko smiled before controlling himself and flicked the ball and jumped with it, avoiding Jun's sliding tackle from behind. "It's yours, Taro!" he called, passing it back over to Taro who winded up for a shot on goal.

"Alright!" Taro's foot connected with the ball and sent it to the corner.

"Denied!" Genzo shouted, stretching out and deflecting the shot before he fell to the ground.

"It's not over yet!" Kazuko cried, as he jumped, heading the ball into the goal.

"You're not scoring!" Jun said, moving up from the side and kicked the ball out.

"Yes I will!" Kazuko continued, jumping again and shifted his body and prepared for a powerful shot.

Genzo and Jun were still on the ground, entranced. In the next half-second, Kazuko slammed the ball to the back of the net with a powerful kick before he landed on the ground.

"He's the real deal, isn't he?" Kazuo pointed out.

"He sure is. He's amazing!" Misao said cheekily.

Kazuko was panting as the final whistle blew to end the practice match, signaling that Taro's team had successfully scored 3 goals, all of which were scored by Kazuko.

"That was a **great **game!" Shingo cheered.

The players gathered up with Coach Mikami, who applauded their performance.

"Excellent display, everyone. I believe you are all aware of our latest player's capabilities and I am confident that you will receive him without any doubt," Mikami exclaimed, a roar of cheer emitting from the group.

"After what we saw, we're more than happy to welcome him!" Ishizaki explained, lounging an arm over Kazuko's shoulders.

"Hey, don't forget we still have Bas and Hyuga to welcome in a few days as well," Matsuyama reminded good-naturedly.

The group shared a few laughs before they were given a break from training. Kazuko had decided to run some laps to cool his muscles down.

"He's unbelievable. I don't think I can move my legs anymore after all that," Ishizaki said admiringly as he watched from his place on the grass, his legs spread out in front of him.

"You weren't even running as much as he was!" Misao teased as he and his twin Kazuo moved up behind the boy.

Taro and Jun brought towels to their faces, wiping the developed sweat as they spotted Kazuko running some laps.

"He's really something, isn't he?" Taro began.

"You can say that again. He has a high level of stamina, so he's able to give 100% every step of the way without getting short of breath. His experience playing with teams like Manchester United and Brancos will be a real asset for us," Jun explained.

"So who do you think is better, Taro?" Matsuyama inquired, walking up to the two.

"Who am I supposed to be comparing?" Taro inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Who do you think is the better overall player? Is it Bas or Kazuko?"

Taro frowned. "Well, it's not as if I can compare the two. I mean, they both have their own unique abilities to bring to the table…" Taro began.

"Putting aside the fact that they play the same position, I'm sure both of them will greatly contribute to our scoring abilities," Jun interjected.

"The coach said we'll be having another practice match with each other when Bas and Hyuga arrive," Matsuyama said brightly.

Jun and Taro turned to each other.

"I'm assuming we'll be seeing a clash of the two mid-field strikers, then," Jun said finally.

"But we can only have one, right? I wonder who it'll be," Matsuyama pondered as Taro brought his gaze to the sky as an airplane flew over them.


	3. Chemistry: A Clash of the MF Strikers

_Chapter 3: Chemistry – A Clash of the Mid-Field Strikers_

The next day was spent having the team do different drills and practice games until sundown before practice was declared officially over. The Japan national team settled down that night to a hearty dinner and socialization with their new team member, Kazuko.

"So Kazuko, what made you decide to want to play as mid-field striker?" Izawa began as soon as they were through with dinner.

Kazuko lowered his chopsticks and thought about it for a long moment. "Actually, I'm not all that sure why I decided to play in that position. Maybe it's because I feel most comfortable playing the game from there. It helps me see everything going on and start planning a means of attacking the opposition's defense," he explained.

"That's pretty much how Bas sees his position as well," Ishizaki admitted, crossing his arms.

"Was that the position you started off with?" Matsuyama inquired.

Kazuko shook his head. "I was just a mid-fielder connecting my passes off to the strikers of the team. So I had focused more on assisting goals rather than scoring them."

"I see…" Matsuyama acknowledged, stroking his chin in afterthought.

"Did you develop that disappearing shot all by yourself?" Shingo asked excitedly.

"Yes. Actually, it all really depended on how fast the ball had to be moving, so I had to think up of a way for the ball to spin so fast that you couldn't see it anymore. Usually I would just add an extra spin on the ball when it's passed to me to create it, but I've learned that it takes up so much more of my power to achieve the speed I need for that shot. That's particularly why I don't use it too often in one game," Kazuko explained.

Izawa slammed his closed fist onto his open palm. "That explains a lot!"

"So guys, Bas and Hyuga are flying in tomorrow morning! Let's make sure we give them a great welcoming!" Takeshi declared, throwing a fist into the air as everybody responded with a loud cheer and enjoyed the rest of the night.

**----------**

Both Tsubasa and Hyuga had boarded a plane earlier that same evening bound for Japan, lasting 14 hours from Spain and 15 hours from Italy. They had agreed to meet up at the airport terminal to head to the training grounds together by way of Mr. Katagiri. At 6:40 in the morning, Japan time, both players had landed and were on the road to the training venue where the rest of the national team was practicing.

**----------**

---**PRACTICE FIELD, 6:58 A.M.**

Kazuko was up early and was down on the field running some laps around the pitch to warm up his legs for today's training.

'_I'm going to meet Bas and Hyuga today… There's a big chance we'll be having another practice game with them around to decide a proper line-up to work with for the upcoming World Cup. There can't be two mid-field strikers, so I'm sure the coach wants to see who's better for the part. I'm not going to give away that position so easily!' _Kazuko thought optimistically to himself, continuing around the pitch.

Katagiri parked the car and escorted Tsubasa and Hyuga to the dorms, helping them with their luggage.

"I'd like to go and see the field for a minute, Mr. Katagiri!" Tsubasa called, jogging up the hill that overlooked the pitch. He smiled at having come back to Japan before spotting someone running around the field. "Hey, isn't that…"

"What's up, Bas?" Hyuga asked, walking up alongside him, looking down to the pitch.

"Looks like Kazuko's up early again," Katagiri noted, adjusting his sunglasses.

"He's always up this early?" Tsubasa inquired incredulously.

Katagiri nodded. "He does a morning jog twice around the whole soccer pitch every day before practice starts."

"So that's Kazuko Kawazoe, is he?" Hyuga said more to himself.

"Practice starts at 7:15. Why don't we bring in your luggage then you can join the team down on the pitch?" Katagiri suggested as the two nodded and followed the man into the building. It didn't take long before the whole team was gathered on the field, welcoming back Tsubasa and Hyuga.

"It's great to see you again, Bas!" Ishizaki said cheerfully, taking him into a playful headlock.

"You're looking fantastic, Hyuga!" Ken pronounced, looking over their former Toho captain.

Coach Mikami cleared his throat loudly, calling everybody's attention. "Right, I'm glad to announce the arrival of Tsubasa and Hyuga, who'll be taking part in our training for the upcoming World Cup starting today." A few extra greetings were passed around before they quieted down again. "As I said before, today we'll be holding another practice game with Bas and Hyuga with us. Same teams as before. Tsubasa plays with Genzo's team, and Hyuga plays with Kazuko's. Get your jerseys!"

The players collected their respective colors and discussed strategies to integrate Bas and Hyuga into their game.

"So I get to be on the same team as Kazuko, huh?" Hyuga stated, examining him from head to toe.

Kazuko nodded to him. "I'm very pleased to finally meet you in person, Hyuga."

"So are we changing our plans now that we're playing with Hyuga?" Taro inquired, looking around between their members.

"The only difference is just worrying about how to execute the plays," Takeshi pointed out.

"Kazu can take care of that! After all, he doesn't play mid-field striker for nothing!" Ishizaki quickly declared, lounging an arm across Kazuko's shoulders.

"Izzi…" Kazuko began before the Tachibana twins agreed.

"We'll leave you to set up the plays, Kazu!" Masao stated.

"And put in some goals as well!" Kazuo added.

Ishizaki lowered his arm and gave him a thumbs-up. "See that, Kazu? We'll support you all the way!"

Hyuga placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'd like to see how you play with my own eyes. So show me what you've got!"

Kazuko nodded. "No problem, Hyuga. I'll do my best."

On the other team, Tsubasa immediately inquired about Kazuko's performance.

"So how was your last practice game with him?"

"It ended 3-1, Kazuko lamentably scoring all three goals, though the others tried to get a shot past Genzo under his leadership," Matsuyama explained.

"He's really something else. I had difficulty shaking him off," Jun added.

"Kazuko takes on a totally different personality when he's playing soccer. You saw his game with Domingo, Bas," Genzo told their captain, hinting at a warning which he hoped he would get.

Tsubasa turned to examine Kazuko for a moment before returning his attention to his team and nodding to them. "Alright, I'll be marking Kazuko. Let's test things out for a little bit before we get into launching an attack. But when the chance arises, don't waste it and get a goal!"

Both teams cheered in agreement to their corresponding plans before they positioned themselves all over the court as Morisaki came forward with the official ball and set it down on center circle. He pulled out a coin and did the traditional coin toss, which Taro and Tsubasa called.

"It's heads. Taro's team gets the kick-off," Morisaki announced as Tsubasa spotted Kazuko and stuck his hand out towards him.

"Let's have a good game," he said encouragingly.

Kazuko took Tsubasa's hand and grasped it, shaking it firmly before releasing his hand. "Let's enjoy ourselves, right?"

Tsubasa smirked and nodded in reply before he jogged back and into position, waiting for the whistle to blow.

"Conditions are the same as before. The first team to score 3 goals wins the match. And just so I can assure everyone's giving 100% into this, I'll begin analyzing my choices for the final line-up for the World Cup in this game. So make sure you show me **why** I should put you in the starting line-up!" Coach Mikami reminded them before he allowed Morisaki to begin the game.

Morisaki brought the whistle up between his lips and blew on it as Taro passed it to Hyuga, who quickly back-passed it to Kazuko before they started off the first attack.

"Alright, let's get ourselves a goal!" Hyuga cried, running ahead with Takeshi hot behind his heels.

Kazuko had the ball and charged forward, avoiding a tackle from Nitta before he confronted with Tsubasa.

Coach Mikami was assessing some things, writing them down on his clipboard.

"Bas is going to try and get the ball off Kazu," Katagiri pointed out. "I wonder who'll get the ball… Will it be Kazuko or Tsubasa?"

"We won't know until we see it for ourselves…" Mikami stated.

'_Okay then, Kazuko. Let's see what you're made of…'_ Tsubasa thought to himself as he and Kazuko were inches from each other.

Kazuko narrowed his eyes, as he stopped in his tracks with the ball, keeping it in his possession as Tsubasa tried to steal the ball from him. Both mid-field strikers fumbled for the ball with their excellent footwork before Kazuko managed to move the ball back towards him and made a side pass behind him to Shingo, who took off with the ball.

_'This guy means business!' _Tsubasa thought to himself, regaining his footing and sprinted off after the ball. "Somebody stop Shingo!"

Kazuko followed pursuit immediately after passing the ball, moving up to help with crossing the ball.

Shingo brought the ball up and spotted Taro, passing it over to him. "Over to you, Taro!"

Taro and Izawa jumped up for a header, Izawa getting it as Kazuko immediately jumped up and received it with his chest before controlling the ball's landing as he continued forward. Jun and Matsuyama ran forward to stop his momentum before Kazuko sent the ball forward.

"Takeshi! Hyuga! Over to you two!" he hollered, avoiding the double sliding tackle.

"Jito! Genzo! Stop them from scoring!" Tsubasa cried, running forward to help with defense.

Genzo spread out his arms. "Come on! I'm ready for you!"

Takeshi received the high pass and ran with it as he and Hyuga approached the penalty area. Quickly spotting an opening, he passed it to Hyuga, who winded up for a shot.

"You're not going to score!" Jito declared, charging forward, ready to receive the shot with his body.

"Better get out of the way! This is my new improved Tiger Shot!" Hyuga shouted, connecting his foot with the ball after collecting his power, sending the ball hurling quickly towards the goal.

"You're not going to score so easily!" Tsubasa declared, sliding in and winding up for a kick, returning the shot with his own. He managed to do so with his Drive Shooter as the ball soared upwards at an angle.

"Then we'll just have to try again!" Kazuko called, running forward and jumped up to connect with the ball.

"Watch out, he might just take a shot!" Jun commanded over to Jito.

Kazuko smirked. _'You guys have a lot more to learn about my playing style…' _Kazuko took an overhead kick and passed it down to Taro, who took it and just barely dodged Teppei's confrontation as he passed it over to Shingo.

"Let's get ourselves a goal, Kazu!" Shingo stated brightly.

"Don't think it'll be so easy!" Matsuyama said, moving in from behind Shingo to get the ball.

"Pass it now!" Hyuga barked, running off to an open space as he brought an arm out to get Shingo's attention.

"Here you go, Hyuga!" Shingo said, making a slick pass over to him.

'_You're in position to shoot, Kazuko. I want to see what you make of this pass…' _Hyuga thought to himself. Turning his back to the goal, Hyuga made a connecting pass to Kazuko, who was at an angle to shoot.

"Get in there!" Kazuko brought his foot back, having considered Genzo's position before taking aim and firing a shot towards the goal.

Genzo's eyes widened as he noticed that the ball had a particular spin on it as it veered off to the other side of where he was guarding. He quickly ran towards it and dived to catch it, stretching out his arms, the ball now within reach. Suddenly, it disappeared as he fell to the ground, the sound of the ball spinning into the back of the net, Morisaki blowing his whistle to confirm the goal.

Tsubasa turned to Kazuko and smiled. _'Seems I've underestimated him…'_

Hyuga resisted from gaping his mouth at the disappearing shot that had been executed right in front of him. Shaking his head, he turned to Kazuko and grinned. _'We were right to get you into the team, Kazu… You're amazing…'_

"Nice shot, Kazu!" Takeshi complimented.

"That disappearing shot of yours is **amazing**!" Shingo declared, jumping onto Kazuko from behind, wrapping his arms around the boy's neck.

Kazuko smiled. "Thanks." He turned to see Hyuga approaching before straightening up, looking up at their main striker.

Hyuga smirked. "Not bad, Kazuko… Now let's keep getting ourselves more goals!" he declared, raising his arm as their fellow teammates who were within ear range cheered in agreement.

Genzo took the ball and got to his feet, dusting himself off as Tsubasa and Jun approached him.

"Are you alright, Genzo?" Jun inquired.

Genzo nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright." He looked down at the ball. "That disappearing shot of his is dangerous. It's only the second time I've been confronted with it, but I still can't figure out how to get to it."

Tsubasa took the ball, a smile etched over his face. "Don't worry, Genzo. We'll get a goal back for that. Don't worry about it," the captain reassured their goalie.

"You should watch out, Bas. Nobody's seen how Kazuko operates when he's on defense," Jun reminded him as they made their way to the center circle.

"Why's that?" Tsubasa asked.

"I was marking him even when he was defending in our last practice game, so we don't know what he can do when he doesn't have a mark." They reached center circle as Jun turned to Kazuko, seeing him talking with Taro and Hyuga. "If you want to chance on another goal just to see what he can do without a mark…" Jun trailed off, turning back to Tsubasa.

Tsubasa thought about their options before nodding. "We'll see what happens. After all, this practice game will determine our final line-up to take to the World Cup. It's better if we see for ourselves what each player is capable of both in offense and defense to strategize properly and assign them a role befitting their playing style to bring out their best capabilities as soccer players," he reasoned.

Jun nodded in understanding as he moved to position.

'_Bas' Drive Shooter… Hyuga's Tiger Shot… and now Kazuko's Disappearing Shot… Our players will stun the world with their strength, teamwork and skills!' _Katagiri thought to himself as he witnessed the latest goal before the game was set to restart with a score of 1-0 in favor of Taro's team.

Morisaki blew the whistle as Jun passed the ball to Tsubasa before the game went underway. Tsubasa carried the ball forward, charging head-on. He avoided a sliding tackle from Shingo before facing off against Kazuko once again.

'_It's another clash of the mid-field strikers…' _Katagiri noted. _'Who will win this time around?'_

Tsubasa narrowed his eyes and tried out the Santana spin popularized by Carlos Santana on Kazuko, turning his back to him and flicked the ball up and over the boy as he maneuvered quickly around him to receive the ball as it descended in an arch over Kazuko.

Kazuko saw this move once before from Santana himself and let the ball roll over him as he stuck his foot out behind him, kicking the ball back up into the air once more to prevent Tsubasa from getting away with it too quickly. Both mid-field strikers jumped up to claim possession of the ball as Tsubasa won it, heading it towards Matsuyama, who took it and sprinted forward to face Ishizaki.

"It's about time Izzi stopped this attack!" Izzi proclaimed, charging forward and performed a sliding tackle as Matsuyama effortlessly jumped over it and passed it back to Tsubasa, who had caught up with him.

"Nice pass, Matsuyama!" Tsubasa commended, moving forward as he faced Taro.

"Taro, go and mark Jun!" Kazuko called, racing down to confront Tsubasa once again.

'_This guy's sure got some tenacity. Kind of like how Shingo was when he first joined the team…'_ Tsubasa thought to himself, accepting the challenge as he looked over his shoulder. "Try and stop me then, Kazuko!"

Kazuko smirked. _'The truth is, Bas… I don't need to…' _he thought to himself, watching as Tsubasa was blocked by the Tachibana twins before he shook him off and passed it over to Jun. Taro managed to intercept the pass and started off towards the other side, avoiding Nitta's attempt of stealing the ball as he crossed it forward to Shingo.

"Do it, Shingo!" Taro called as Tsubasa, Jun, Matsuyama and Kazuko gave chase to Shingo.

"Hyuga! Takeshi! The ball's coming your way!" Kazuko shouted. Shingo heard this and nodded back to Kazuko over his shoulder as he avoided Teppei and Hajime's double sliding tackle and passed it to Takeshi, who swiftly gave the ball to Hyuga.

"Put it in, Hyuga!" Kazuko called.

"This one is going in!" Hyuga declared, winding up for a powerful Tiger Shot.

"Genzo, watch it!" Matsuyama cried.

Genzo spread out his arms. "I'm ready! Give me your best shot, Hyuga!"

"Better get out of the way of this one!" Hyuga's foot connected with the ball as it soared towards the goal at such incredible speed, heading straight at Genzo. The goalie ran forward to confront the ball, grasping it between both hands, applying all of his weight against it as he slowly slid backwards towards the goal line. Genzo just managed to stop its spin before it crossed the line as he straightened up.

Hyuga took a step back. _'Darn it! He blocked it!'_

'_Looks like Genzo's figured out a way to stop shots like Hyuga's Tiger Shot…' _Katagiri noted with keen interest.

Genzo ran forward and kicked the ball back into play. "Go get us a goal, Bas!" he shouted.

Kazuko moved forward and intercepted the long pass.

'_Kazuko!'_ Hyuga exclaimed in his head as he watched the steal.

"Don't give up so easily, Hyuga! Try it again!" Kazuko shouted, jumping up from a tackle from behind and crossed it over to the striker once more.

Hyuga moved to receive the ball. _'Kazuko stole the ball back… I won't waste his efforts!' _he told himself firmly as he took control of it as it landed on the ground before he sprinted forward into the penalty area.

"Genzo, watch it!" Tsubasa cried.

Genzo spread his arms out once more. "You're not going to score!"

"Just use the right amount of power, Hyuga! The rest is in your technique to score a goal!" Kazuko told Hyuga.

Hyuga's eyes widened as he winded up for a shot. _'The right amount of power? Technique?' _he repeated before he looked at Genzo and goal he was guarding before letting his foot connect with the ball off its sweet spot and sent a shot towards the goal before it veered slightly to the right, catching Genzo jumping to the opposite direction before the ball went in.

Morisaki blew the whistle as Hyuga's team cheered.

Tsubasa stopped in his tracks and looked over to Hyuga and Kazuko before smiling. _'It's incredible… Kazuko just told Hyuga to remember about the techniques of scoring and he made a fantastic spin on the ball to fool Genzo… For a power player like Hyuga who usually aims straight for the net…'_

"That was great, Hyuga!" Takeshi cheered, running up to them.

"It was all thanks to Kazuko's words," Hyuga stated, patting the boy on the shoulder.

Kazuko nodded. "One more goal, then," he said before the team cheered.

Tsubasa moved to where Genzo and Jun were. "So he can steal the ball fairly quickly and at the same time anticipate passes…" he said. "He calls out where the ball's headed even if he doesn't have the ball himself. It shows you how much he trusts his teammates to carry out that play…"

"He's a dangerous all-around player," Jun admitted with a sigh.

"But let's not get ourselves discouraged! We can still catch up!" Tsubasa stated, turning to the rest of his team that had gathered with them. "Alright, we're done observing. Now we play some **real**soccer!"

"ALRIGHT!" Tsubasa's team cheered before getting into position.

At kick-off, Nitta tipped the ball to Tsubasa, who took off with the ball. "Let's go!"

Kazuko ran up to confront him. _'Okay, let's see what happens now, Bas…'_ he thought before Tsubasa quickly passed the ball backwards to Teppei.

"Mark Bas, Kazu!" Taro called as he moved over to Teppei.

Kazuko looked at the field for a moment before his eyes widened. "Izzi! Look out for the cross to Hajime!" he called.

"What?" Izzi responded as the ball was launched into the air towards the side where he and Hajime were. They both jumped for possession as Hajime managed to head the ball down where Izawa took off with it.

"Izawa!" Tsubasa called, waving over to him.

Kazuko kept up with Tsubasa as they came closer to the goal area. _'It'll either be a cross to Bas or…'_

Izawa avoided Masao's sliding tackle before passing the ball to Jun.

"Ken! Look out!" Kazuko warned as Jun moved into the penalty area and got himself ready for a shot on goal.

Ken stretched his arms out. "I've got it!"

"Try stopping this one!" Jun cried as his took a shot on goal, pinpointing the lower corner as Ken dived. His fingertips just managed to graze past the ball as it skidded into the goal and the whistle was blown.

"That was an awesome goal!" Tsubasa commended, running up to Jun.

"Sorry about that, Kazu…" Izzi apologized, moving up to Kazuko.

"Don't worry about it, Izzi," Kazuko reassured him, clapping him on the shoulder.

"We just need to start getting a bit more serious ourselves… Right, Kazu?" Taro offered with a small smile on his lips.

Kazuko nodded as the rest of his team joined them in front of Ken's net. "We just need to score one more goal, guys. Let's make this attack count, and give them no chance to steal or even get possession of the ball!"

"YEAH!!" the team replied enthusiastically as they headed back to the positions.

"Kazu…" Ken called, effectively stopping the boy.

"What is it, Ken?"

"I'll…"

Kazuko smiled. "I know you'll protect the goal at all costs, Ken. I believe in your abilities," he said encouragingly before heading off.

Ken nodded firmly before the game restarted. The intense attack done by Taro and Kazuko's team on Tsubasa's was flawless; passes were nearly perfect, easily getting past the defense before it ended with Hyuga's successful shot on goal, with an assist from Kazuko. The final whistle blew as the players shook hands and took a well-deserved break.

Coach Mikami scribbled a few things on his clipboard. _'Looks like we'll be sending quite a strong team to compete for the World Cup this year…'_ he thought to himself in slight amusement.


	4. Author's Announcement

Greetings one and all~

Apparently, whether I knew it or not, I was tagged to do this.

Here's what's up.

The first TEN people to send me a PM with the subject: MEME DRABBLE get to request that I write a drabble of any character or pairing of their choosing in any anime (within reason, people, please. :) In return, they have to post this in their journal or account, regardless of their ability level. (If you absolutely can't write, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to offer drawings or icons or something instead.)

1. KyoxTohru1 - Ouran High School Host Club (Hikaru/Kaoru)  
2. Bloodysamurai - Kuroshitsuji (Sebastian/Finny)  
3.  
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5.  
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Now while that bulk of a paragraph was copy-pasted, I'll warn you as early as now that I'm rather limited when it comes to the anime, so I may not deliver a good drabble if you ask me to do Naruto or Bleach. ^^;;; Terribly sorry, but try your luck and send me a PM. I'll let you know if I can do your request or am even familiar with the anime enough to do one for you~ Just check out my profile for that, I guess. I have a little list of the anime I'm inclined to writing, but yeah.

You get the picture. xD

So, request away!


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